Let's Talk About It | WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse This month: Six survivors talk about what medical providers got right and what they got wrong in treatment for their domestic abuse injuries and trauma. Topics: 1) The medical community. 2) Physical symptoms of emotional abuse. 3) Wh...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse This month: Sharon Kennedy talks from prison where is serving a 48 year prison sentence about the extreme abuse her ex subjected her and her child to, leading to the death of 10 year old Marisa. Topics: 1) Coercive control. 2)  ...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Topics: Katherine talks about how her ex tried to cut her head off with a knife, got an obscenely low prison sentence, and was released to strangle another girlfriend. Guests: Katherine Erbes About the host: Patrisha McLean is the fo...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Liz Eckman talks about how Portland Maine city officials publicly recognized October as Domestic Abuse Awareness Month even as they were silent about criminal charges against their tax assessor for domestic violence assault against h...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Sarah Doucette, author of Stronger Than That: A Domestic Violence Survivor Uncovers the Truth About Her Abuser, talks about the many factors that trapped her with a sociopath. Topics: 1. Financial abuse 2. Religion trapping you in ab...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse The director of a Maine public library Rachel Davis talks about growing up with a violent father. In Part 2, 85-year-old Mary Lou Smith reflects on her 20-year anniversary of freedom. Topics: 1. Abusive fathers 2. Impact of domestic...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse The owner of a popular cupcake shop breaks her silence about a first husband who regularly strangled her. Topics: 1. Misplaced shame. 2. Domestic Violence Strangulation. 3. How abusers do not change. Guests: Vicki Murray About the ho...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse When your ex tries to burn your house down with you and your daughter in it and is out of jail in less than a year. Topics: 1. Broken Judicial System 2. Domestic Violence Arson 3. Impact of Domestic Violence on Children Guests: Agnes...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse When your ex who almost killed you is released early from prison to now be charged with strangling another woman to death. Topics: 1. Broken Judicial System 2. Domestic Violence Strangulation 3. Impact of Domestic Violence on Childre...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse When your best friend is murdered by her father. Topics: 1. Guns. 2. Growing up with abuse. 3. Police and VA response to domestic violence. Guest: Kerry Smith whose mother’s boyfriend was abusive and whose best friend was murdered by...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Domestic Violence Homicide—Actual and Almost Topics: 1. Strangulation. 2. From charmer to psychopath. 3. Femicide in Maine. Guest: Michelle, survivor; Kerry and Amber, best friends of two of the four women domestic violence homicide...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse He burned her house down, with her dog inside, and she is estranged from her children and grandchildren. Topics: 1. Arson. 2. Sexual abuse. 3. Family siding with the abuser. Guest: Mary Kamradt, Chief of Staff of Finding Our Voices....

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Caroline McKuen shares how her pastor minimized the financial and sexual abuse and criminal activity of her ex-husband. Topics: 1. Financial abuse. 2. Patriarchal churches enabling domestic abuse. 3. Sexual abuse. Guest: Caroline McK...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse The devastation of financial abuse, as experienced by Lora, a Maine nurse, and explained by Jeannine, a domestic abuse survivor/victim’s advocate with Finding Our Voices. Topics: 1. Financial Abuse 2.Sexual Abuse 3. Manipulation of A...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse He strangled her, tried to smother her, forced her at gunpoint to take a bottle of sleeping pills and a judge lowered his bail so he could be released from custody. Topics: 1. Domestic violence murder hidden as suicide 2. Puffball se...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse A man talks about being abused by a woman. Topics include: The Power and Control Wheel, the specific challenges of being a man abused by a woman, the similarities of men being abused by women and women being abused by men. Guest: Ano...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Jolene Miles of Lewiston talks about how Maine’s courts and police enabled her dangerous ex, putting herself, her children, her pets, the general public and also the police at risk. Guest: Jolene Miles Topics include: The dereliction...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guest: “Bethany” Topics include: PFA violations being ignored DA Dismissals of DV over and over again Children traumatized by DV About the host: Patrisha McLean is the founder/president of Finding Our Voices, the grass roots sur...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guest: Amy Judkins talking about how DHHS prioritized custody of her granddaughter to a domestic violence felon. Topics include:  Maine officials emboldening domestic abusers. No accountability for Maine domestic abusers. Domest...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guests: Gina Dobson, Sarah Graham, Jennifer Greensmith, Tiffany Pacin, Mary Kamradt, and Jolene Iannotti. Topics include:  How domestic abuse is worse during the holidays, road rage, when there is no joy for children due to the...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guests: Commissioner of Corrections, Randall Liberty Topics include:  How growing up with a violent father impacts boys and men. About the host: Patrisha McLean is the founder/president of Finding Our Voices, the grass root...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guests: Ashley and Dezarae Topics include:  How the military turned a partner mean, same-sex abuse, emotional abuse, impact on children. About the host: Patrisha McLean is the founder/president of Finding Our Voices, the gr...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guests: Anonymous Topics include:  Domestic abuse crosses into every socioeconomic strata, child abuse, how domestic abuse impacts family members, the complicity of silent friends. About the host: Patrisha McLean is the founder/...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guests: Sue Garrett, Elizabeth Garber, Karin Spitfire, and Kathleen Robinson Weston Topics include:  Child abuse, how domestic abuse impacts the family, healing through art and writing About the host: Patrisha McLean is the foun...

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse Guest: Gina. Gina talks about how her ex made good on his promise to crush her if she left, by filing a false charge against her for murder when the death was actually a miscarriage, and how she remains a felon to this day. Topics in...